Virus vs Antigen
by MikiDTea
Summary: Max works to find the antigen for the Eyes Only virus, but another virus threatens the X-5s. M/L with some jealous Alec. Who can she trust?
1. Chapter 1

**Thanks to Cecil for the beta! **

**A/N: Story begins 3 months after S2 E13 "Harbor Lights."  
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Max had been waiting for two hours every day for the past three months. Waiting on the doctor to find a cure for the virus she carried that was targeted to Eyes Only's DNA. Logan, the man she had loved and thought was THE ONE. Now, she wasn't so sure, but how could she be when she could barely look at Logan, much less touch him. She despised Manticore for doing this to her. It had affected her relationships with everyone. It hurt her to talk to Logan, and she usually avoided him at all costs. Her relationship with Alec was also strained as he was constantly coming up with annoying jokes about Max and Logan never 'getting busy' when they had the chance. Max and Original Cindy were closer in some ways, but whenever the subject of guys came up, Max instantly clammed up and refused to talk. It's like she was walking around in a dream; everything moved in slow motion and her world was falling apart. All because Manticore felt threatened by the truth that Eyes Only had announced during one of his cable hacks. _Could my life get any worse?_

Max was stirred from her self-pity when the doctor came back into the exam room. _Great. He didn't find a cure today, so we'll try for tomorrow._ Max rolled her eyes. She had gotten tired of him always taking blood and running tests. _Blah blah woof woof._ It seemed that every day she was giving 50 gallons of blood to this loser, and every day her hopes were crushed when the tests came back positive for the virus. _Why even bother, I have no hope anymore. I don't even know why I still come to this guy. It's not like we've made any improvements with this darn virus._ _Okay, so maybe this 'loser' is Sam Carr; the guy that has saved mine and Logan's lives too many times to count, but still, no improvements means no physical contact between Logan and me._

"Okay, Max, I'm going to give you something that I think may reverse the virus. It might sting a little, but it will be over before you know it. Then you can go back to work and come in tomorrow to run some more blood tests to see if the antigen worked."

Max lied down on the table and Dr. Carr inserted the needle just below the skin at the inside of her wrist. Immediately, she felt a tingling sensation in her arm and it traveled through her body. She looked up at Dr. Carr, preparing to comment about the icy feeling, but her eyes felt heavy and she quickly drifted off to sleep.

Max woke up in the same position she had been when she had fallen asleep. Only one difference: a familiar looking man was in the room with her, but it wasn't Dr. Carr. His back was to her, but he had a model-esque look about him. He had perfect, tan skin and she guessed he was about 6'1".

"Maxie? You awake, kiddo?" Only one person in the world called her 'kiddo'. _Alec._ She tried to sit up, but her head started spinning. Alec grabbed her hand and assured her, "Everything is gonna be okay, Max. You just had some screwed up reaction to the antigen."

"Alec, what the heck are you doing here?" _And why are you holding my hand?!_ Max knew she had put Alec as her emergency contact. Crazy as it sounds; it made sense because he understood everything about being a screwed up, genetically enhanced superhuman.

"Well, Max, our boy Sam here had to give ya some of my blood to make ya come back to life. No need to thank me. It's all in a day's work. Sammy boy is back in the lab doing some kinda test on your blood. He should be back soon."

"Look, Alec, you are free to go. There's no need for you to hold my hand and wait with me like a little girl. I _can_ take care of myself."

"That's what worries me, Maxie." Alec smirked. He knew she hated that nickname, but he had told her a million times that he "said it with love."

Max moved her arm as if to smack Alec, but he pulled away out of reach. "You're lucky I can't whoop your skinny little—"

She was cut off by Dr. Carr opening the door. "I have some good news, Max. The blood from Alec negated the effects of the faulty antigen." He said with a smile.

"And the bad news? I mean, there's always bad news, right?" Max didn't try to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

"Well, I guess the bad news is that you'll have to return tomorrow. I think I've finally found out how to manipulate the antigen to our advantage. Just give me 24 hours and we'll try this again." Max couldn't help but think how sincere the doctor sounded. _Like he really wants to find the cure for this virus too._

"Come on, Max, let's get outta here." Not that Alec was ready to go to work, but he had a strange feeling in his gut that something just wasn't right, and he planned on telling Max about it ASAP.

Max headed across town to Jam Pony, not really caring if she would make it on time. The traffic was terrible. _I could always tell Normal my bike got a flat tire._ She had been trying to ignore the annoying voice of Alec coming from over her right shoulder, but the longer she ignored it, the louder it became. She had half a mind to put the brakes on and put the smack down on Alec right there in the middle of the intersection they were sitting at. She rolled her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief when the light finally turned green and she pedaled fast towards the Jam Pony building, only braking to a stop when Normal ran out in front of her like a maniac. _Heck, he _is _a maniac. _

"Where the fire truck have you been, Missy Miss?"

Max flashed Normal an innocent grin and said, "Alec had an accident. Lost his brain. Go easy on him." She ran off to put her things in her locker before Normal had a chance to interrogate her further.

She snickered at Alec's confused face when Normal handed him 5 packages and said, "Get a move on! I've got 5 more where those came from!"

"Come on, Normal, it's not my fault—"

Alec was cut off by Cindy, "Hey, fools. EO's on the TV." She glared at Alec as she held down the 'up' volume button on the remote, daring him to make a scene. True, he was an X5, but Cindy intimidated him with her knowledge of the streets and her tough attitude.

Everyone gathered around the television, watching the blue and red bands run along the top and bottom of the set of mysterious eyes. The Jam Pony messengers waited anxiously, until a distorted voice said, "Do not attempt to adjust your set. This is a Streaming Freedom Video bulletin. The cable hack will last exactly 60 seconds. It cannot be traced, it cannot be stopped and it is the only free voice left in the city."

There was a slight pause as the speaker organized his thoughts, during which Alec and Max exchanged uneasy looks. The voice continued, "Several doctors from the secret government facility of Manticore have been working undercover to get information on the transgenics that escaped in winter of '09. These doctors have been given orders to inject their transgenic patients with a lethal bioweapon, a virus designed to spread between the X5s and kill them within 24 hours. If you are one of these transgenics, and you are in the Seattle area, I urge you to be careful when seeking medical treatment. Do not divulge any private information that can tie you to Manticore; do not disclose your designation or your barcode. Only take tested and approved prescribed medications and only depend on those you know you can trust with your life. This has been a Streaming Freedom Video bulletin. Peace. Out."

"Boy is he full of crap." Normal shook his head. "There isn't anything on this earth that can save those trannies from destruction. They're gonna get what they deserve soon enough. I'm telling you now, ladies and gents, the end is near for those bloodsucking mutants." He looked around, making sure the messengers were paying attention to him. "Now get back to work!"

The messengers scattered, grabbing packages and hopping onto their bikes to make their runs. Max made her way through the maze of lockers to the telephone, followed by Alec and Cindy. She had dialed half of Logan's number when a hand ripped the phone from her grasp. "What the heck are you doing, Alec? I got a call to make!"

"No, not yet. Lover Boy can wait. I promise." Max reached for the phone. "Nuh-uh, Maxie. We gotta talk."

"About what, Smarty-Pants?" Max rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Spit it out already. We ain't got time to waste. Normal'll be on our cases if we don't get outta here." Cindy peeked around the lockers, making sure Normal was preoccupied for the moment.

Alec's expression was serious as he bent his head closer to Max's face. "What exactly do you know about Sam Carr, Max? How do you know you can trust him?"

"Oh, for real, Alec?" Max grabbed Cindy's arm and turned to leave, but Alec jumped in front of her.

"Listen, 452," Alec hissed, "who told you about Sam?"

Max just wanted him to shut up. "Logan, okay? And before you say anything, yes, I trust him. With my life. We cool?"

Alec held his hands up, seemingly satisfied with her answer. But before Max stormed off to grab a package from Normal, she glared at Alec and said, "The name's Max, by the way."

Cindy looked over to Alec, shaking her head in disbelief. "What's your dealio?"

"I don't think she should be so willing to trust Sam, much less anyone Logan suggests."

"Alec, you're seriously tellin' me that just 'cause you're jealous of my home girl, Logan isn't trustworthy? You're trippin'." Cindy crossed her arms over her chest and waited for the predictable, ridiculous excuse.

"Come on, OC. You know there aren't _that_ many good people in the world. And there's no way Logan can be friends with all of 'em. Even if he is Eyes Only. Besides, Sam's been doing who knows what with her blood work. He could've injected her with the virus for all we know."

Cindy couldn't believe her ears. "Look, my boo trusts Logan, and I'm sure these people have to prove themselves trustworthy to him 'fore he'll do business with 'em. Just chill. Max'll take care of herself. And before you start thinkin' even more sideways than you are now, Logan's a good guy. Max loves him an' the only thing she wants is to be able to touch 'im again. Don't you spoil that for her."

Cindy smiled and patted Alec's cheek with her hand. "See ya, playa. And just be happy Max has someone she can trust." And with that, Cindy grabbed her bag and walked over to the dispatch desk.

"She has me." Alec whispered to not one in particular. "She can trust _me._ I don't hide behind a mask," he said with a mix of jealousy and disgust.


	2. Chapter 2

Max heard a buzzing noise and looked around cautiously. As it got louder, she realized it was coming from overhead. _A freakin' hover drone. Great._ Max grabbed her baseball cap from her backpack and yanked it on, hoping the drone would go about its business. Thankfully, it did and she made her way to sector 3. It was her last drop of the day before she was going to head home and take a nice long bath. Well, she would if OC had remembered to start heating the H2O on the stove. If not, she'd still find a way to take her much needed bath. Maybe head over to Kendra's apartment or something.

Max pulled up to the checkpoint for sector 3 and flashed the sector police her Jam Pony badge. Fortunately, the cops were in a good mood and let her go on her way; however, the loser whose package she delivered was a bit on the moody side and slammed the door in Max's face. _No tip? Not even a penny or something? Come on._ She memorized the address, as she made it a habit to avoid delivering to those poor souls who couldn't spare some change for a hard working girl.

Max felt her pager vibrate against her shoulder, where it was attached to the strap of her backpack; she recognized Logan's number and made a mental note to run by his house on the way home. Once she returned back to Jam Pony, she traded her bike for her Ninja and made her way to Logan's penthouse.

Logan was on the phone, staring out the window, when she walked into his living room and sat on his sofa. His face looked concerned, but also relieved as he said, "Okay, Alec. Thanks a lot." He hung up and walked over to where Max was waiting. The air between Logan and Max was tense and awkward, and neither wanted to be the first to break the silence.

But Logan knew he had to get the truth out there. "Max, I assume you saw my cable hack earlier today." He didn't even stop for a response from Max. "Well, naturally I heard about this operation from a source that works with my Eyes Only project. And it seems that Sam Carr isn't all he's cracked up to be. My source hacked into White's computer and happened to get Carr's folder before the hack was compromised. It seems that Dr. Carr has had some dealings with Manticore in the past, something that he has spent a lot of time, and money, trying to hide. You haven't been seeing him recently, have you? I mean, I know you saw him three months ago when you got shot and the whole CDC thing went down, but you haven't had any reason to go back to him, right?"Logan looked at Max, holding his breath.

Max's thoughts flashed back to earlier that day, when Alec had tried to ask her about Dr. Carr, and how she had just brushed him off. For a moment, her stomach tightened and she realized that what Alec & Logan had been saying could be true, although she desperately hoped it wasn't. She looked up at Logan, his worried expression causing him to look sad. _Even guilty, _Max thought.

Max saw Logan's hand out of her peripheral vision. She wanted to know if the antigen was working, if it really _was_ an antigen. She wanted to touch Logan and comfort him, but to do that, she'd have to explain that she had indeed been seeing Sam Carr. She really didn't want to get into it with Logan. Not now. Max held her head in her hands and sighed as her head started to pound. _Must be from the stress._ Well, she hoped it was the stress. _Could be the antigen._ Max felt a tremor run through her body and she started shaking. She thought she heard a voice, maybe Logan's; she couldn't be sure.

Logan saw Max beginning to seize and ran to his kitchen to get some milk to calm her seizures. The Tryptophan in the milk would stop the seizures, as long as they didn't get too violent. If they did, he'd have to get her to a hospital, and he did _not_ want to do that. He pulled two latex gloves from their box in the cabinet, stuffed his hands into them and rushed to Max. The gloves were a barrier between their skin, allowing Logan to touch Max without getting infected with the virus. Logan lifted her head gently, silently willing Max to at open her mouth and drink the milk. He started talking to her, barely whispering close to her ear, "Max, come on. Don't you do this. It's okay. I'll take care of you, just please stop seizing."

Max looked up at Logan and he could see a faint smile form on her face. She managed to take a small sip of the milk, which settled her seizures enough for her to take the glass herself. _God. How embarrassing. Now he's going to know something's up._

A few minutes later, her seizures stopped altogether and Max and Logan sat in silence once again. Both were sitting on the sofa, but at opposite ends. _What the heck are you doing, Logan? _Logan thought to himself. _You should comfort her and see if she's okay, not sit here like a socially challenged dork. But I _am _a dork, _Logan fought with himself. _Fine, but I don't think she's gonna like it._ Logan moved closer to Max, careful not to get too close. He then took her pale hand into his gloved one, giving it a careful and loving sqeeze.

"Max, I—"

"Logan, I—"

Both spoke at the same time, but Logan, being the gentleman, nodded to Max to go first.

"Look, Logan, there's something I need to tell you." Max looked into Logan's green eyes, seeing the confusion and worry of a man expecting the worst, but hoping for the best. "Logan, I—"

She was cut off by Alec, who said, "She's been seeing Sam Carr, Logan. He's been treating her for the past 3 months." Alec was standing against the deep red-painted wall, arms crossed and an expression of arrogance on his face. "And just so ya know, I've been standing here for, oh, five minutes." He flashed a grin to Max, who shot him a menacing glare back.

"What the heck are you doing here, Alec? Didn't Manticore teach you some manners? Such as how to knock when you visit someone, especially unexpectedly!" Max was furious. Alec was always finding some way to come between her and Logan.

"Ah, Maxie, settle down. Logan knew I was comin' over, didn't ya, Buddy?" Alec walked over and sat down on the loveseat, across from Logan and Max.

"He's right, Max. I had told him to drop by if he could." Logan looked over to Alec. "If you could excuse us for a minute."

Logan led Max into his study and motioned for her to sit at his computer desk. "Sam Carr's file is right here. Everything from Manticore up until now. I want you to read it while I speak with Alec. We'll talk about this later." Logan walked back into the living room while Max fumed. _I can't believe Alec. I'm gonna shoot him._ She shook the thought from her mind and began reading.

"I'm glad you told me, Alec. I'm not sure if she ever would have if you hadn't stepped in."

"Yeah, well, she'll hate me for the next day or two. You really should have her tested for that X5 virus thing, you know. I mean, I don't wanna get it. I swear I'm gonna kill her if I've been exposed. I have a hot date on Friday. A _very_ hot date, might I add." Alec looked over at Logan to see his response, but Logan was looking towards his office, as if he could see Max through the walls. "So, uh, I did that thing you wanted me to do. Oh, I also bugged Carr's office this morning."

"Yeah, Alec, thanks. But why didn't you tell me about Max and Carr earlier? Surely you knew she put you down as an emergency contact."

"Well, Logie, I figured since Max is usually a loyal gal, she'd fess up on her own. " _That and she's doing it to get rid of the virus targeted to your DNA. _And _this scene is sure to put a strain on your cute, pathetic excuse of a relationship. _Alec smiled, but inside he wanted to force Max away from Logan. _She belongs with someone like herself, not some loser journalist. _"Anyway, I'd better get movin'. Normal's got me training hardcore for my next big fight as Monty Cora. Kinda redundant if you ask me, since I'm a genetically enhanced superhuman, but Normal would freak if he found out I'm one of his 'trannies'." Alec turned to go and yelled, "See ya, Maxie!" as he walked through the door.

Logan walked up behind Max, placing his still latex-gloved hand on her shoulder. He could feel her muscles tense when he leaned over to look at her solemn face.

"So, now you know why I paged you."

"Yeah, Logan. I also know that you have Alec spying on me. What? You think I really wouldn't tell you if I had been seeing a doctor?" Max spun the computer chair around to face Logan.

Logan sighed. "Max, I know you. I mean, we haven't even seen each other in weeks. It's like you're avoiding me or have some dirty secret. I worry about you and I know how you push people away when they get too close or—"

"Logan!" Max broke him off from his rambling. "Sam Carr. I was seeing him about the virus. Our virus. He's been working on it and today, well, I think he might've found out how to kill the darn thing." Max looked at Logan, expecting some kind of positive response.

"Oh." Logan shifted uncomfortably. "Well, I think you should rethink your decision to continue seeking treatment from him."

"Logan, he could be our last hope!"

"Max, he's dangerous!"

"You don't know that! Besides, he was _your_ friend."

"Yeah, before I knew he was from Manticore!"

"Not everyone from Manticore is evil."

Logan looked at Max in disbelief. "Max, what has gotten into you? Weren't you the one who swore to rid the earth of everything Manticore?"

"Logan, he's my only hope. _Our _only hope to beat this freakin' virus." Max's eyes glistened with the coming tears. "I want you, Logan. And I'm gonna do whatever it takes to get you back." Max looked at Logan in desperation for a few seconds, then dramatically walked down the hall to the door.

Once outside Logan's penthouse, Max practically punched the 'down' button on the elevator, wanting to get back home as soon as possible. She leaned against the cool elevator doors, thinking of how awkward it was to be around Logan and remembering why she rarely came over anymore.

Logan sat in shock for a few minutes, not believing that Max, rock solid Max, had just spilled her guts to him. Logan laughed when he thought of how they sounded so much like a married couple, arguing and making up. And although Max was long gone, riding her Ninja back to her apartment, Logan said, "Be careful, Max."


	3. Chapter 3

Max showed up 10 minutes early to her appointment with Dr. Carr since there was barely any traffic to sector 6. She felt nervous, excited and confident all at the same time. Today, she was armed with a ton of information about Dr. Carr, courtesy of White and Manticore. Apparently, Carr had been a pediatric physician at Manticore, although she had never seen him in her days there. He had left Manticore around '95 and had gone into hiding in Seattle, where White had found him and recruited him back onto Team Manticore, apparently just for this special little mission of exterminating the X-5s.

Max was Dr. Carr's first patient of the day and when eight o'clock rolled around, Max started feeling paranoid and nervous. _Sam has _never _been this late. Wonder where he is. Maybe he just got stuck in traffic. Yeah, cause there were so many cars on the road. I mean, I got here early. Well, maybe he's a slow driver. _

Max walked down the hall of offices, hoping to catch a nurse or doctor who could tell her something about Sam. _Great. Logan and Alec are going to have a field day when they hear about this._ Max arrived at the door of the break room where she heard several woman discussing what they had planned for the weekend. Max peeked into the room and noticed that the TV was on, but had been muted. One of the nurses saw Max standing there and asked her if she could help her.

"Yeah, I have an appointment with Dr. Carr. He's not here yet and I'm worried about him." Max stepped into the room.

"Oh, didn't you hear? Sam passed away last night." The nurse didn't look concerned, but rather nervous.

Max's mouth dropped. "He was perfectly healthy when I saw him yesterday. Who told you about this?"

"It was on the news a few minutes ago. One of the doctors who lives close to him found him dead. You know, I can have a therapist speak with you about it, if you'd like." The nurse stood up and walked over to the phone. "Let me see if someone's available."

"Uh, no thanks. I'll just be on my way." Max did _not_ want to get caught up in the hospital and she needed to get to Logan's to confirm the news. After all, the media was even more corrupted and untrustworthy after the Pulse. _You couldn't trust 'em then and you can't trust 'em now._

Max was practically running down the hall, trying to shake a creepy feeling she was getting. Suddenly, a gloved hand grabbed her arm and yanked her into an office, practically ripping her leather jacket in two. Another hand came up and covered her mouth to keep her from screaming. Max struggled to get free and once she did, she swung a punch at the mysterious head.

The person grunted and said, "Oh," as her gloved fist met his jaw. "Geez, Max. What was that for?"

"Logan?" Max couldn't believe it. "What the heck're you doin' here?" She still wasn't used to Logan gaining back the ability to walk.

"I heard the news about Sam and got here as soon as I could. When I saw White's men outside…I just. I thought I had lost you again." Logan's voice faltered.

_So that's who the nurse had really been calling. _"So, White set me up. But where's Sam?"

"Sam's dead, Max. One of my sources confirmed it." Logan's jaw was numb from the pain and he massaged it gently.

"Wow. And I'd bet it was White who had him killed. White doesn't like to get his hands dirty. You think we should check the crime scene?" Max whispered.

"No, I really don't. White probably has men there too. Just like here. Max, there's a mystery here that desperately needs to be solved. Let's get outta here."

Logan made a move towards the hallway, but Max stopped him with her arm and mouthed that she would go first. Max crept down the hall towards a window. She looked down at her Ninja, which stood untouched. A movement caught her eye and she noticed the snipers that had been set up on the buildings across the street. _Man, White knows how to go all out when he's throwing a party. 10 snipers. No way I'm getting my baby back any time soon, if ever._

Logan whispered to Max that he had parked the Aztec down the street as to avoid White and his men. Max looked around for other escape routes: an elevator, two other hallways that led to who knew where and a set of stairs. _Take the elevator, you can't see who's waiting at the bottom. Take the stairs, there's nowhere to go if you get caught. One hallway goes south, not where I wanna go. _Max made a quick decision to risk the hallway to her right. At least it led north, the direction of Logan's Aztek. Max silently stalked down the hall, stopping every 10 feet to listen for intruders.

At one point, about halfway down the hallway, Max and Logan heard voices arguing loudly in an office ahead. The voices got louder when someone opened the door from the inside. Max instinctively grabbed Logan's hand with her gloved one and pulled him into a storage closet. Logan and Max could hear each other's hearts beating as they silently and anxiously waited for the men to pass. A minute later, the voices faded into the distance and Max poked her head into the hall to take a look.

"All clear," She whispered. "Okay, Logan. The only other room I know in this place is the cafeteria." _A girl's gotta eat sometime. _"And I have an idea."

Max and Logan stopped at the end of the hall and looked to their left: another closet. Logan turned to his right and poked Max. Just what she was looking for: a stairwell. Max stealthily led Logan down two flights of stairs and quietly entered another hallway.

Max motioned to two sets of locker rooms and Logan understood what she was thinking. Each entered their respective locker rooms and returned five minutes later dressed in scrub-like clothing, carrying a bag containing their clothes.

"Logan, there's a back door in the kitchen. We make it there, we go through an alley and should end up about a block or so from your car." Max walked into the kitchen, grabbing an apron and pretending to busy herself with it as she walked through.

Luckily, the people in the kitchen were busy, so no one paid any attention to Max and Logan. However, when they opened the side door, two armed men were there guarding it. Max quickly kicked the guns out of their hands and, in slow motion (or so it seemed to Logan), she overpowered both men and threw a few punches that she said "might leave a mark." Max smirked at the arrogance of men. Mostly White, of course. _He thinks he and those breeding cult freaks of his can take down an X5? Please._

Max and Logan ran down the alley, and once they reached the end, they had to stop to take 'a breather', as Logan called it. Max's eyes moved swiftly from right to left, up and down, searching for SWAT teams, hover drones, anything connected to White. She didn't see anything, so she slowly crept out of the alley and motioned for Logan to take the lead since he knew exactly where he parked.

Logan reached his hand into his front right pants pocket as he approached the car, trying desperately to find the key. No luck. _Crap. _He felt a hole and realized it was big enough to stick three fingers through. Max looked at Logan quizzically as she saw Logan's annoyed face. "I lost my car keys, Max. There's a hole in my pocket. I don't know what happened to them."

Max took a deep breath and said, "I might be able to pick the lock. Hold on a sec." Before Logan could step around her and see what she was using to pick his driver's side door, Max had the door opened and was practically pushing him into the seat. Logan's shoulder received a soft punch as Max motioned for him to move over to the passenger side. Max reached under the steering wheel to hot-wire the car. _All those years living on the streets taught me some useful info. Lydecker would be proud of this transgenic._

Once Max started the car, she drove towards sector 9. Logan said something about dinner and maybe a movie. Apparently he was planning on keeping her hostage instead of giving her a ride to work. _Not that I mind. _

While Max was focused on driving the Aztec as if it was her Ninja, Logan kept an eye out for any cars that seemed to be tailing them. He was half-turned in his seat, and every time he looked away from the road, he found himself looking at Max. He wanted to talk about what had transpired over the last two days, but as he glanced back to the road, he spotted a navy blue Jeep that he could have sworn he'd seen before.

"Max, the navy Jeep three cars back, I think it might be tailing us." Logan adjusted the rear-view mirror so Max could see the Jeep.

"Let's see what they can do." Max said with a grin.

"Uh, let's just see if we can lose 'em, Max." Logan wasn't up for a standoff with White's men.

Max rolled her eyes playfully and said, "You always ruin the fun, Logan. But that's okay. I have another idea."

Max rolled the car up to the policeman at the sector checkpoint, flashing her Jam Pony badge. He nodded for her to roll down the window so he could check out the badge. When he handed it back, Max looked innocently at the cop before she said, "Officer, you see that Jeep? It's been following us for like, ever, and it's kind of freaking me out. Would you mind checking it out?"

The cop glared at the Jeep like it had offended him in some way. Logan guessed the cop was taken with Max and her damsel in distress façade. _Just ignore me, why don't ya? _But Logan knew cops. They had turned into something like the Mafia; blackmailing innocent civilians and using their firepower whenever possible, but always willing to help out a hot chick.

The cop put his hand over Max's. "Sure, sweetie. You go on ahead like everything's okay and I'll have a word with 'em."

"Oh, thank you, officer." Max's voice dripped with fake gratitude, but the cop didn't seem to notice.

Max pulled the car away from the checkpoint and sped all the way to the city, only slowing down once she reached downtown because cops were all over the place there. Logan had kept a watch out for the Jeep, but once Max had started driving like Jeff Gordon, they'd lost them. _Hopefully Mr. Sector Police gave them a warm welcome at the checkpoint._ Max smirked.

Max pulled up to the curb in front of Fogle Towers. She and Logan got out of the Aztec and walked into the building, not looking anyone directly in the eyes. Max just wanted to get inside and take a nap, maybe use Logan's shower. Logan, on the other hand, wanted something to eat. _Maybe Italian. Chinese sounds good._

They stood in silence as they rode the elevator all the way up to the top floor. They didn't say a word to each other as Max picked Logan's door lock—they still hadn't found his keys.


	4. Chapter 4

They walked into Logan's office and Max logged into his computer, checking to see if there was an update about Carr's death.

"Logan, I wanna check out the crime scene." _Not that I need your permission._ Max looked up at Logan, expecting him to tell her that it wasn't a smart thing to do.

Logan surprised her by saying, "Sure. Tomorrow sound good?"

Max sighed with relief and nodded.

"Okay, well, I'm going to start on dinner." Logan walked through the doorway and into the kitchen.

Max stood from her chair and followed Logan. "I wanna help you fix a Logan Cale culinary masterpiece."

Logan smiled and pulled something out of a drawer. He handed the cloth material to Max and pulled one out for himself.

"Aprons." Max muttered.

"All beginning chefs must wear the apron, young lady."

Max reluctantly pulled the bell pepper-patterned apron over her head and tied it around her waist. She laughed at Logan's 'Kiss the chef' apron.

"What? You know you wan-" Logan stopped short. _Good job, Cale. Screw up a perfectly good night with Max by bringing up physical contact and the virus._ "Max, I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry. And before you say anything, just hear me out. The other night –our argument—I said that I thought Carr had found the answer to our prayers. I really don't think Carr was evil, Logan. I mean, he…he was helping me find a cure." Max sat on a stool. "Look, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I've been really stressed lately, given the givens." Max shook her head. "It doesn't excuse me, I know. I want us to be the way we were. Before-"

"Before this virus came around and killed any chance you had of getting 'er in bed." Alec finished for Max.

_Twice in 2 days! _Max looked at Logan. "Hold on a sec."

She grabbed Alec's arm violently and led him to Logan's front door.

"Get outta here, Alec. I'm so freakin' tired of you getting between Logan and me." Max opened the door.

Alec chuckled. "Oh, Maxie. Can't you see? He's a lowlife 'normal.' A liberal, stuck-up snob who thinks everyone should just bow down to him and do his dirty work. You belong with someone like me, someone who understands you and doesn't treat you like a pet or slave."

"Oh, really? You think _you_ are what I need?" Max smiled at how ridiculous Alec was sounding.

"I know I'm what you need. You can't deny your feelings for me. What about the time I helped you escape from Manticore?"

"You turned around and tried to turn me back in! You betrayed Logan and me!"

Alec opened his mouth to disagree, but realized she was right. "Okay, well, I help with Joshua."

"To have a place to stay. In other words, you're _using_ Joshua." Max crossed her arms over her chest, knowing Alec could never win this argument.

"You know what, forget that. Think of all the times I've given excuses to Normal. For example, today I told him that you had a gastrointestinal infection and were sitting on the head all day."

"Oh, you couldn't come up with anything more original, Alec?"

"I thought it was pretty brilliant. Where were you anyway?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Max put her hand on Alec's shoulder and pushed him towards the door.

"Hey! Don't touch me!" Alec jerked away and pushed Max back, causing her to hit the wall with her back - HARD - so hard it knocked the breath out of her. Alec slammed the door and she could hear him muttering as he waited for the elevator.

Max stood up and saw Logan standing in the hallway, his face showing his concern.

"Max, what's up with him?"

"I don't know, Logan. I think he's just scared. This virus from White has him freaked out. It has _me_ freaked out."

Logan walked over to Max and put his arm around her - no layer of clothing to protect him from the virus.

For a moment, Max thought about pulling away, but then she thought about the antigen - how sure Carr had been that it would work.

Logan whispered into her ear how much he missed holding her.

Max wanted to tell Logan how much she missed him too. How much she longed for him to hold her and tell her everything would be okay. _Like that'll ever happen._

She turned to Logan and said, "Why don't I finish up dinner and you can light some candles?"

"Sounds good." Logan looked at Max as seriously as he could and joked, "Just don't burn it, okay?" He smiled as Max playfully punched his arm.

* * *

Alec walked into Crash, recognizing some people in the back, yet making sure to act like he didn't see them. He headed straight to the bar and ordered a beer, which was just what he needed after his little quarrel with Max. He saw OC walk up to the bar out of his peripheral vision. "Well, look what the cat dragged in."

Cindy looked at Alec with her famous look of death. "Alec, always good to see ya too." She wondered why he'd come to Crash without Asha.

Alec smirked at OC's comment and pulled a five out of his wallet. As he set it down on the counter, OC's hand grabbed his arm.

"What's up with you, Alec?"

Alec pulled his arm out of OC's grasp. "Nothin'! Okay?"

OC could tell he was in his own little world, as he had been for the past few days. "What is wrong with you, Alec?"

Alec scoffed. "Nothing. I'm outta here."

Cindy followed Alec up the stairs to the street. "You never let anyone close and never talk about your feelings. Or admit to them, for that matter."

Alec put on his best grin, trying to get Cindy off his back. "I don't have any feelings to admit and I don't need anyone else, okay?"

"You sure? You'll never know how she feels if ya don't ask. Risks are part of life, Boo; they make you stronger."

"Yeah, sure, Doctor Phil." Alec hopped onto his bike and pedaled towards Asha's place.

OC thought about Asha and how she had been hanging out with him, well, more like flirting with him, for a while now. _Maybe he'll tell her how he feels tonight._ Little did she know Alec had feelings for someone else.

* * *

Special Agent Ames White slammed the door shut as he walked into the conference room at NSA headquarters. Special Agent Otto could see the frustration - _no, the anger - _on his superior's face. White had gone ballistic after 452 had managed to get past his SWAT team at the hospital that morning, and Otto had tried to avoid a one-on-one confrontation, but White had managed to corner him.

"What the heck happened, Otto? You were given specific orders to be sure the entire area was surrounded and secure so that 452 could not escape!" White stood in front of Otto with a threatening look on his face, daring Otto to come up with an excuse.

Otto just stood there and awkwardly shifted his weight, knowing that a punch to the stomach was sure to come soon.

"We had her, Otto. She was right there in our grasp and you just let her walk out. Do you know what this means, Otto?" White continued to give Otto the death stare. "It means that I think you don't know how to do your job correctly." Disgusted, White waved Otto towards the door, ending the meeting.

But before Otto could turn around to leave, White double tapped him in the heart with his concealed pistol. Otto stumbled back a few steps and looked at White in shock before he collapsed on the floor—dead.

White dragged the body to a closet and stuffed it inside. He grabbed some files from his desk, lit a match and burned the paper-trail evidence of Special Agent Otto. Luckily, Otto's information had never been put into the online database, making it easier to erase the slightest suspicions about Otto's existence. He'd worry about the body later, but right now, he had a very special transgenic to catch—and kill.


	5. Chapter 5

"White's SWAT team isn't here. Not surprising with all of the other X-5s to keep tabs on." Logan mentally prepared himself to break into his friend's house, hoping that Carr really hadn't been yet another enemy.

Max peered into the windows of Carr's house, using her cat vision to discern the shapes of furniture in the living room. She had checked the area for hoverdrones, but it seemed the police had also moved on. She motioned to Logan to enter the house first and kept an eye out for curious watchers as she stepped through the door behind him. They went through every room, checking drawers and closets for anything to prove, or hopefully somehow disprove, Carr's involvement with White.

Max guided her flashlight around Carr's office, noting the crooked "1962 Seattle World's Fair" poster above the desk. Logan walked in behind her and said, "The safe is behind the poster, but if White has been here, I'm sure whatever was in it is gone." Logan opened the safe and showed Max that it was empty.

"Is there another place he would've kept stuff? Maybe a place where no one would think to look?" Max looked at Logan, hoping for a good answer.

"I really don't know, Max. Where would you hide something that was too important to put in a safe?"

"I'd leave clues that lead to the treasure box," Max said sarcastically, "with a big red X marking the spot."

The light bulb in Logan's head suddenly went off. "Max, Sam has an X-Men poster in the living room!"

The blank look on Max's face told Logan that she had no idea what he was getting at. "Max, it's like a treasure hunt."

"Great." Max rolled her eyes and followed Logan into the living room.

Logan took the poster off the wall and examined the back.

Max saw Logan's face go from excited to disappointed. "Well? What did you find?"

"Nothing. There's nothing here!" Logan whispered incredulously.

"What do we do now? Raid the cabinets and rip apart the mattress?" Max walked into the bedroom, ripping the sheets and pillows off the bed. She felt something in one of the pillows, and upon removing it from the case, found a piece of crumpled up paper.

Logan looked at Max skeptically. "Max, what in the world are you doing?"

"In the pillow?" _Really?_ Max couldn't believe Sam would be so lame.

Logan inquired again. "What's in the pillow?" Logan stood next to Max and finally saw what she was talking about. "Oh, a clue."

Max sighed. "You read it. As much as I find this type of thing exhilaratingly amusing, I'm tired of playing hide-and-seek. This is life or death."

Instead of reading what was on the note, Logan lead Max into the kitchen.

"Where's this clue? In the freezer? Stuck in the ice cream?" Max stood with her hands on her hips.

"Don't be silly, Max. It's under this." Logan pointed to the bottom of the fridge.

"You're kidding me. You got this from his clue? It's under the heaviest appliance he could find? Are you sure you had nothing to do with this?"

"Pretty sure. Now are you gonna help me or do I have to do all the dirty work myself?" Logan was already feeling around the fridge for a hold.

"Move over, cyber man. Let the X-5 do what she was made to do." Max easily moved the fridge and waited while Logan looked around for the next 'clue.'

Logan felt the wooden panels on the ground, testing them to see if they moved under any weight. He found one that did and lifted it to reveal a small, dark cavity.

Max craned her neck to see inside the hole. "Dang. Guess this was all for nothing. I'll meet ya outside."

"Wait." Logan moved his flashlight around, looking for some glimpse of a clue. Sighing, he put his hand into the hole, hoping there were no inhabitants waiting to bite his hand off. He was about to abandon all hope when he felt 'it.' Although he wasn't sure what 'it' was. He yanked it out of the hole, holding in his hand a dust-covered manila envelope.

He sat on the floor beside Max and read the letter that he found in the envelope.

_Logan and Max,_

_If you've found this letter, it means I'm gone. Captured, missing in action or dead. I want you to know that I'm glad you made it this far, but you still have a long way to go. You've survived attacks from Lyedecker and White, and you deserve to know what I have been involved in. You probably have some questions about why I've been so mysterious lately._

"Just lately?" Max scoffed.

_Well, the truth is, as I'm writing this letter, White and his men are off finding other doctors like myself. Why? It's simple. White's scientists discovered a new virus. A virus targeted only to X-5s. You should know that although humans can't be affected, they can carry and transfer the disease to transgenics. I'm sure you're asking what I had to do with this. As you probably know, I used to work for Manticore. But after several years of being forced to do inhuman (or inhumane?) things, I left. I chose Seattle because I grew up here, and yes, when I heard of the X-5s' escape in '09, I kept an eye out for them. I did not see any until the day Logan brought you in, Max. You were the first and somehow I knew you'd be the last. I managed to evade White for a while, but White is determined, to say the least. He found me, and although I never gave you away, I'm sure he could tell I'd had dealings with transgenics._

_He blackmailed me. He threatened to destroy my practice if I didn't inject the new virus into my X-5 patients. At first, I refused. But I soon gave in, knowing that I only had a short time to live if I lied to him, and also if I followed his orders. Breathe, Max, for I did not pass on the virus. Quite the opposite, actually. I finally found the antigen for the Guevera/Cale virus. I injected you with it, Max, the last day I saw you for the blood tests. I am 100% sure that the virus is now dead, and you and Logan can go on living your lives like you have always wanted._

_Your friend, Sam_

Max noticed something on the note and said, "Logan, Sam wrote this just a few days ago."

Logan nodded. "He must have known he was in trouble."

"Well, why the heck didn't he come to us? We could have saved him!" Max's eye welled up with tears.

"No, I'm afraid we couldn't have, Max. Like he said, White is determined. It's a miracle he hasn't caught up to you yet."

"Well, when he does, I'm gonna kick his butt once and for all." Max dramatically spun around and headed for the front door, determined to find justice for Sam's mysterious disappearance…or death.


End file.
